Hopefully, a compromise can, in fact, be reached — one that would put slots at several tracks and legalize one or two casinos, with their larger up-front fees, greater job creation, and billions of dollars in new construction. Let’s give those Massachusetts citizens that lost their textile-industry jobs to lower wages in Asia an opportunity to earn a living wage, family medical, and 401(k) plans. This can be achieved by approving an industry, gaming, that doesn’t require a Harvard MBA or a graduate degree from MIT. Positions in life sciences are certainly desirable to keep state-college graduates from fleeing to New York. But why not create two industries to satisfy some of the needs of the 125,000 unemployed in Massachusetts?

Steve Norton
Alton, Illinois

EDITOR’S NOTE: The letter writer, a former president of the Sands Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, and of Argosy Gaming Company, has expressed interest in possible casino sites in New Bedford and Palmer.

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